Partition wall

ABSTRACT

A PARTITION WALL IS PROVIDED WHICH HAS BOX SHAPE COLUMNS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SECURING MEMBERS FIXED TO THE CEILING AND WALL, THE COLUMNS BEING SECURED IN PLACE BY DETACHABLE ENGAGEMENT, AT OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF,   WITH COVER PANELS WHICH MAY BE SOLID, TRANSPARENT, FIXED OR CONSTRUCTED AS A DOOR.

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- March 20, 1973 a. LIEBER 3,721,057

PARTITION WALL Oiginal Filed Jan. 5. 1969 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 United States Patent O 3,721,057 PARTITION WALL Bert Lieber, Stuttgart-Birkach, Germany, assigner to Ernst Lust KG., Lampertsheim, Germany Continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 78S,771,

Jan. 3, 1969. This application dan. 19, 1971, Ser.

Claims priority, application Germany, lan. 20, 1968, P 16 58 915.4 lint. Cl. E04b 2/76 US. Cl. 52-241 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A partition wall is provided which has box shape columns slidably mounted on securing members fixed to the ceiling and wall, the columns being secured in place by detachable engagement, at opposite sides thereof, with cover panels which may be solid, transparent, fixed or constituted as a door.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 788,7711, now abandoned.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a partition wall for erection in buildings. Partition walls are being increasingly used to sub-divide large rooms into a plurality of several smaller rooms. They make the allotment of space considerably more iiexible as compared with permanent internal walls, such as masonry walls. lin dwellings, for example, the number, size and arrangement of rooms, etc., may be altered according to the wishes of various owners or according to -the changing requirements of the same owner. Offices are an important fieldA of application for partition walls, since in oliice buildings the need to change the allotment of space is met relatively frequently as a result of changes in staliing, oiiice reorganization, changes from open-plan to individual oiiices, etc.

APartition walls, must therefore, be expected to have maximum stability and durability and yet be easily erected, dismantled and re-erected, these operations preferably being carried out by workers other than selected experts from the staff of the manufacturers. Partition walls must also provide the greatest possible sound insulation. In addition, it should be possible to provide them with means enabling the walls to be opaque or formed with panes of glass or with doors, either as optional fittings or as interchangeable ttings for one and the same piece of wall. In spite of all these requirements the walls must not be too costly to manufacture and thus too expensive to use.

A large number of partition wall constructions are already known. One of these consists of a framework with panels detachably fixed to both sides; the framework is joined to the panels by members known in furniture-making as bed-fittings (the so-called framework construction). But most known partition walls consist of closed components joined together by tongue and groove joints or the like (the so-called component construction). Thus, cavities are formed between the panels, which may be filled with suitable material to provide sound and heat insula tion. But all known partition wall constructions have e lC@ more or less serious defects in respect of one or more of the above requirements; an important defect common to nearly all known partition walls is that their erection and dismantling and any change in the form of the wall (replacing panels with doors and vice versa, replacing opaque panels with panes of glass and vice versa, etc.), are very laborious operations and frequently involve completely dismantling the entire wall and rebuilding it in a different form.

An object of the invention is to provide a partition wall which avoids these drawbacks of known constructions and which fulfills all the above-mentioned requirements for such a wall. This also includes obtaining a pleasing appearance in line with contemporary taste.

This is achieved, according to the invention, in that the supporting structure comprises securing members for attachment to the iioor and the ceiling of the room and columns, in the form of metal-box members, adapted to be slid into or onto the said securing members, and that the columns are provided at at least two opposed sides with detachable fastening means, for example, snap-on fittings, for two cover panels at each side, the columns being adapted to be moved relative to the securing members in the plane of the partition wall and being spaced apart solely by the panels and their fastening means. In order to make the wall as versatile as possible by increasing the number of possible connections, it is advisable to provide the box profiles of the columns with fastening means for cover panels on all four sides.

The fixing of the securing members to the Hoor and ceiling of the room in which the wall is to be erected does not present any practical difficulties and can be carried out by most craftsmen even without special training in partition wall construction. The joining of the columns to the securing members is simple, since there is only a loose sliding lit. Any inaccuracies in the manufacture of the wall components can thereby be compensated to a certain extent. The columns are simply placed obliquely between the securing members at the floor and ceiling and then turned upright so that they come into engagement with the two members. The cover panels are fixed to their associated column at one side and the next column, inserted in the same way, is moved so that the other side of the panel can be joined to it. In this way, the building up of the wall from one side to the other progresses rapidly and without any possibility of error. With the aid of certain additional components which will be described below, cover panels of all types, i.e. with panes of glass, doors', etc., may be provided anywhere along the wall.

The preferred means for detachably fixing the cover panels to the columns are resilient struts provided on the columns to engage knob-like members, beads or the like xed to the panels. In addition to these fixing means, the columns may have cavities to receive sealing struts, preferably lip-seals, and/or for detachably fastening fittings such as shelving, built-in cupboards, etc. Where panes of glass are to be mounted as the panels, a frame may be provided which is sub-divided parallel with the plane 0f the glass; the two parts of the frame, between which the glass is held by sealing strips, are then joined together by rivets, screws or the like. One part of the frame has projecting knob-like or strut-like members, so that the pane of glass and the frame form an independent unit which can be attached to the columns simply by pressure and detached therefrom by a suitable method, for example for exchange purposes, in the same way as an opaque cover panel made, for example, of wood or plastic. The arrangement may, for example, be such that the heads of the fastening devices joining the two parts of the frame are used actually to fix the frame to the columns. Alternatively, beads may be provided on the inner part of the frame, the beads either being integral therewith or attached thereto by the fastener devices.

In known partition wall constructions, each pane of glass must, like a shop-window, be individually fitted in place and fixed to the supporting construction.

The inner part of the frame may be provided with a cladding strip extending to approximately the middle of the wall (mid-way through the thickness of the wall), so that the gap between the two panes of glass is visibly shut off from the surrounding wall interior.

Further according to the invention, the partition wall may be joined to the ceiling, the floor and/or laterally to another wall by a profiled connecting member, substantially corresponding to the profile of the columns cut through the center. In cases where the profiled metal member is not fixed directly to the fioor, ceiling or adjacent wall, but instead has a securing member interposed, it is desirable to provide at least one web on the outside of the connecting profile for engagement in the securing member, so that a strong, rigid joint can be obtained between the connecting and securing members. In such a case the securing member, and possibly part of the profiled connecting member attached thereto, may be covered with cladding strips which are fixed, eg., screwed, to the securing member from both sides. If on the other hand the connecting member is fixed directly to the fioor, ceiling and side Wall, the cavity and webs of the connecting member may be used, respectively, to accommodate and apply pressure to sealing strips made of soft material for sound and heat insulation. The resilient struts provided on the columns and on the profiled metal connecting members similar to the columns may be used for this purpose.

It is particularly desirable for the ends of the columns to be held in the profiled members for joining to the floor and ceiling by U-shaped yokes of rectangular crosssection. The flanges of the yokes are adapted to be inserted under stress in two central channels provided at opposite sides of the column profile, the channels being formed by resilient struts (and also serving to fix the cover panels, etc.). The webs of the yokes, projecting beyond the exposed ends of the columns, may be inserted under stress in the channel facing towards the partition wall and also formed by resilient struts. In this way, the columns are joined to the floor and ceiling connecting members in such a way that the ends of the columns can move longitudinally of the connecting members whereas transversely thereto (and thus transversely to the plane of the partition wall) there is a rigid connector between the said components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation View of a simplified, partially assembled partition wall according to the invention, showing its manner of erection;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of a partition wall according to the invention, made up of various different components;

FIGS. 3a and 3b are fragmentary horizontal sections taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section through a different partition wall according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section through a slightly modified embodiment for joining the partition wall to the floor or ceiling; and

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of one of the U-shaped connecting yokes provided between the ends of the columns and the profiled members for joining to the floor or ceiling.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIG. 1, the erection operation starts with the fixing of proled connecting beams 1S to the floor 31 and ceiling 39. Proled connecting columns 2 are provided at the points where the partition wall joins the two adjacent walls. An opaque cover panel 9 with its associated columns 1 is already assembled in place. The column 1 at the right-hand side of this panel is half uncovered, and the next column i1 is already inserted in the profiled connecting beams 1-5. The next cover panel 9 can be detachably fixed to the two columns by pressing it home therein in a manner to be described more fully later; the column .1, which in FIG. l is still unattached is rst moved into exactly the correct position after which the panel is installed into its two allotted columns. As shown in dotted lines, the next column 1a is first placed obliquely between the two connecting beams 15 and then straightened up to bring it into engagement with the two beams, after which it can still be moved relatively to the latter in the plane of the partition wall. Hence the beams 15 and columns 2 provide a supporting structure for columns i1, the latter being movable in horizontal direction in the plane of the partition wall.

FIG. 2 illustrates how a wide variety of wall components can be combined as required in the partition wall according to the invention. The combination illustrated is, of course, merely exemplary and in no way restrictive; it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that a virtually unlimited number of other combinations is possible, based on the construction principle according to the invention.

In FIG. 2, the wall consists of three sections, shown at A, B and C. Columns 1 are provided between sections A and B and between sections B and C; sections A and C are bounded at the sides by profiled columns 2 connecting them to other walls of the room; these may be structural walls or other partition walls. The lower part of section A, equal to less than half the height of the whole section, is provided with opaque cover panels 3 made, for example, of wood, plastic or the like; the upper part has a pane of glass 4 as its panel. Section B has an opaque panel 5 at the bottom left and a door 6 at the right. The top part of section B has another pane of glass 7 to act as a fanlight. The panel 5 and door 6 are of different widths. Section C is made up of a pane of glass 8 acting as a fan-light and two opaque cover panels 9 of equal width.

In the horizontal cross-section in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the columns 1 are seen to be of box type and of thin wall metallic construction. The columns include fastening means at two opposed sides, in the form of resilient legs or struts 10, which form continuous channels l1, together with stationary parts of the box profile. At the two other sides of the column profile, two resilient struts 10 each form one continuous channel 11 per side of the column. The resilient struts 10 and the associated stationary parts of the profile have members in the form of triangular-shaped barbs projecting inwardly from their free outer ends; these form snap-on fittings, i.e., detachable connecting elements for projections provided on the parts to be joined to the column l. At the two sides of the columns 1 where there are two channels 11, cavities 12 are provided adjacent the channels 11 to receive sealing struts 13, preferably in the form of lip-seals. It is important to note that the struts 10 are freely projecting cantilever members whose free ends are capable of independent lateral movement relative to the rest of the column.

In the partition wall illustrated in FIG. 2, the columns which divide the wall into several horizontally adjacent sections A, B and C, are visibly recognizable as partition elements. These are the columns 1 shown at the left-hand and right-hand sides of FIGS. 3a and 3b respectively. For the above reasons, two cover moldings 14 of U-section engage the exposed sides of each of the columns, and are provided on the inside of their central lweb with knobshaped or strut-like members engaging in the channels 11 at the front and back of the columns 1. In this way, the U-shaped cover moldings 14 are detachably joined to the columns 1.

In FIG. 3a, continuations of the partition wall are connected to all four sides of the left-hand column 1. The central column 1 is adjoined by an opaque cover 5 at the left and a door 6 at the right. The column 1 in FIG. 3b forms a connection with the door 6 at the left-hand side and adjoins a further opaque cover 9 at the right.

The connections to the left-hand column 1 are made by profiled metal members 15, substantially corresponding to the profile of the columns 1 cut through the center thereof. The profiles of the members 15, -unlike those of the columns, have webs 16 on the outside which will, if necessary, apply the soft seals (not shown) provided in the box cavity.

The four profiled connecting members may be fixed to the left-hand column 1 in FIG. 3a in any desired way such as by brackets and screws (not shown). At the right side of this column 1, two cover panels are joined by the appropriate profiled member and intermediate lip-seals 13; the panels 5 are made of opaque material with a layer 18 of insulating material sandwiched between them for heat and sound insulation. In the vicinity of their two vertical side edges, the panels 5 carry projecting heads or struts which on the left-hand side are snapped into the channels 11 formed in the member 15 by resilient strut 10, and on the right-hand side are snapped into the channels 11 similarly formed by resilient struts 10 on the central column 1. The central column 1 also has corresponding sealing struts 13.

The back of the left-hand column in FIG. 3a, like the right-hand side of the column, is joined to a section of partition wall which is again made up of opaque cover panels 3 with a sound and heat insulating layer 18 sandwiched between them. The front of the said left-hand column 1 is joined to a section of wall in which the panels consist of two panes of glass 4. Each of the two panes 4 is held in a frame which is sub-divided in a plane parallel with the plane of the glass. The two parts 20 and 21 of the frame, usually described as glass-holding struts, are interconnected by rivets, screws or the like, in the position defined by the center line 22. The heads of the rivets, screws or the like point inwards and serve to fix the two-part frame to the profiled connecting meinbers 15. The inner parts 20 of the frame have webs 23 extending approximately to the middle of the partition wall; these substantially cover the space between the two panes 4 on the outside. The inwardly facing heads of the rivets, screws or the like which are provided at 22 to join the two glass holding struts 20, 21, are engaged in the channels 11 in the member 15, which are bounded on one side by a resilient strut 10. In this way, the entire glass panel, made up of the glass-holding frame, consisting of parts 20 and 21, with the pane of glass 4 fitted therein with intermediate seals 24, is fixed to the framework of the partition wall (in this case the profiled connecting member 15).

At the left-hand side of the left-hand column 1 in FIG. 3a, the section A of partition wall is connected in exactly the same way, its panels also consisting of panes of glass 4.

The right column 1 in FIG. 3a is attached, at the righthand side thereof, to a profiled metal post 25 (identical with a post 25 at the right of the door which is in turn attached to a profiled connecting member 15 carried by the column 1 in FIG. 3b). The profiled metal posts 25 form a door frame with two door seals 26; the post 25 xed to the column 1 in FIG. 3b also carries door hinges 27. The door itself is shown at 6 and is made of an opaque material. The two posts 25 at either side of the door are largely covered by frame strips 29 and 30. The front strips 29 have projecting heads or struts at the position defined by the center line 22, which engage in the channels 11 in the left-hand column 1 and in the right-hand connecting member 15 respectively. The frame strips 30 at the back may be fixed directly to the posts 25 by any desired means such as brackets and screws (not shown). The column 1 at the right-hand side of FIG. 3b is connected to a continuation of the partition wall only at the right-hand side, where panels 9 with an intermediate sound and heat insulating layer 18 are attached by a further profiled connecting member 15 which is provided with lip-seals 13 and channels 11 formed by resilient struts 10.

FIG. 4 is a. vertical section showing the construction of the horizontal parting lines within section A of the wall in FIG. 2. Here the partition wall is joined to the floor 31 of the room by a supporting hatten 33, which is fixed to the floor, with the interposition of an elastic member 32, and which is joined to a profiled connecting member 15. The two webs 16 of the member 15 are received in a matching groove 34 in the batten 33, thereby forming a tight joint thereat. Cladding strips 35 are fixed to both sides of the supporting batteri 33 to form a plinth base as visible in FIG. 2. `Opaque panels 3 with a layer 18 of sound and heat insulating material sandwiched between them are fixed to the columns (not visible in FIG. 4), in the lower part of section A. Intermediate battens 36 are provided along the horizontal top edges of the panels 3, their cross-section being identical with that of the vertical columns 1. The battens 36 are joined to two adjacent columns 1 by U-shaped yokes, described further vbelow in connection with FIGS. 6 and 7. Above the intermediate batteri 36, panes of glass 4, held in two-part profiled metal frames 20, 21, are again provided as panels. The frames are constructed, interconnected and fixed to the intermediate batten 36 and the two adjacent columns 1 in the saine way as that described in connection with the wall component adjoining the front of the left-hand column 1 in FIG. 3a. Above the panes of glass 4 is a further intermediate batteri 36, its cross-section again being identical with that of the columns 1. This batten is also clamped to the two adjacent columns 1 by a tension rod. The profiled upper batten 36 has opaque panels 3 attached to it in the manner already described. In the example illustrated, the top of the partition wall is joined to the ceiling 39 of the room by an elastic bracing. The bracing comprises a bearing plate 41 which is received in a recess 40 in the ceiling and within which a bolt 42 surrounded by a helical compression spring 43 is adapted to move. The spring presses against the top of a hatten 36 by means of a Washer 44 Alternatively, the top of the partition wall may, of course, be joined to the ceiling 39 in exactly the same way as illustrated in FIG. 4 for the connection between the bottoni of the wall and the floor 31.

In FIG. 5 which shows a modified partition wall, like references denote like parts. Here there are three columns 1. The left-hand column 1 is adjoined at the lefthand side by a profiled metal post 25 carrying hinges 27 and seals 26 for the door C. The strips for covering the door frame are again shown at 29 and 3f). At the righthand side of the said left-hand column 1 is an adjoining section of wall, in which the panels consist of panes of glass 4 which are fixed to the columns 1 by two-part frames 20, 21, in the manner already described. The right-hand side of the frame 21 is attached to a profiled connecting member 15, which is in turn fixed to the central column 1. IEngaging the exposed front of the column is a cover molding 14 of U-section, which is locked into the channel 11 of the central column 1, by means of knob-like or strut-like projections. The rear of the central column 1 is adjoined by a portion of wall 7 made up of opaque panels 9 with an insulating layer 18 between them. This section is joined by a profiled connecting strip to a fixed wall of the building or to another partion wall 45 constructed according to the invention. Adjoining the right-hand side of the central column 1 by means of a profiled intermediate member 15 is another opaque panel 9 with an insulating layer 18, said panel 9 being attached to the right-hand column 1 in the manner already described. The right-hand side of this column constitutes the exposed end of the partition wall; this end is covered by a molding 14 of U-shaped crosssection. The front of the right-hand column 1 is similarly joined to a further section of wall by means of a profiled connecting member 15, this section of wall consisting of panes of glass 4 held in two-part frame 20, 21.

FIG. 6 shows a construction which dif-fers slightly from that in FIG. 4, illustrating another way of joining the bottom (and possibly the top) of the partition wall to the fioor 31 or to the ceiling (not visible in FIG. 6). Here, profiled connecting member 15 is attached directly to the fioor 31, for example by means of screws or similar fixing elements (not shown). The cavity of the member 15 contains a soft seal 15a, which is pressed firmly against the floor 31 by the webs 16, insuring a reliable seal even if the fioor is not level. The two limbs 47 of a U-shaped yoke 46 of rectangular section are forced into the two lateral channels 11 of the column 1, located in the central plane of the partition wall. The web 48 of the U-shaped yoke 46 projects beyond the bottom of the column 1 and is inserted in the top central channel 11 of the profiled connecting member 15. The two limbs 47 and the web 48 of the U-shaped yoke 46 are slightly wider than the internal width of the channels 11, so that they can be pushed into the appropriate channels under stress. The yokes 46 form a connection between the ends of the column 1 and the members 15, the connection permitting displacement in the plane of the partition wall but being completely rigid perpendicularly thereto, in the horizontal direction. 'Such a yoke 46 is shown in a front elevation view in FIG. 7.

The fioor connecting member 15 and the lower ends of the columns 1 joined thereto are covered with strips 35, which are detachably connected by inwardly projecting heads or struts to two adjacent columns 1 or to the member 15 itself, which again has channels 11 in the sides facing the strips 35. In FIG. `6, these strips 35 are joined at the top by opaque panels 9 which are attached to the associated columns 1 by a snap-on fitting, as already described. In the horizontal joint lines between the strips 35 and the panels 9, there are intermediate profiled beams 50, substantially of T-section, with cavities 52 to receive seals on both sides of the web 51. The seals provided in the cavities 52 are preferably lip-seals but are not illustrated in FIG. '6.

What is claimed is:

1. A partition wall for erection in buildings between a fioor and ceiling thereof, said wall comprising a supporting structure having opposite sides with panels detachably fixed to said sides, said supporting structure including securing means for attachment to the fioor and the ceiling, and vertical columns having a cross-section of four sided box shape slidably supported by said securing means for sliding movement in said securing means in the plane of the wall, said columns each having a first pair of opposed sides with resilient fastening means for resiliently and detachably gripping two panels at each side, and a second pair of opposed sides with means for resiliently and detachably gripping one panel at each side, each panel including means detachably engageable with said resilient fastening means of the columns by a snap engagement, said columns being spaced apart and held in place in a horizontal direction in the plane of the wall solely by the engagement with said panels via said fastening means.

2. A partition wall according to claim 1 wherein said fastening means on the column comprises resilient struts defining a cavity, and the means on the panels for detachably engaging the fastening means comprises knob-like members fixed to the panels and adapted to engage in a respective cavity.

3. A partition wall according to claim 1 wherein said resilient fastening means on each side of the column comprises two spaced struts defining a cavity in which the means on a panel can be snap-engaged, at least one of said struts being a freely projecting member having a completely free end capable of moving laterally independently of the rest of the column.

4. A partition wall according to claim 3 wherein the struts forming each cavity have inward triangular-shaped barbs for seating on the means on a panel which is snapengaged in the cavity.

5. A partition wall according to claim 1 wherein in addition to the fastening means, the columns are provided with cavities adapted to receive sealing means which provide a releasable attachment.

6. A partition wall according to claim 1 wherein said panels comprise parallel glass panes, a frame which is subdivided in a plane parallel with the plane of the glass panes and means joining the frame in said plane and projecting from said plane and constituting the means for engaging said fastening means of the columns.

7. A partition wall according to claim 6 wherein said means joining the frame comprises fasteners having heads facing internally in the panel.

8. A partition wall according to claim 6, wherein said frame includes an inner part with a web extending approximately in the middle of the panel.

9. A partition wall according to claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a profiled metal connecting member for joining the partition wall to the fioor and ceiling, said connecting member having a profile substantially corresponding to the profile of one of said columns severed at the center thereof, said connecting member being adapted for joining the partition wall to side walls of the building.

10. A partition wall according to claim 9 wherein said profiled connecting member includes at least one external web for engagement with the securing means on the fioor and on the ceiling.

11. A partition wall according to claim 1 wherein said wall has an exposed end and a cover-molding of fU-section mounted on said exposed end so as to cover the same.

12. A partition wall according to claim 11 wherein said cover-molding is attached to the wall with the same fastening means as the panels.

13. A partition wall according to claim 10 comprising U-shaped yokes for securing the columns in the profiled members for connection to the fioor and ceiling, said yokes being of rectangular cross-section with flanges inserted under stress in two central channels formed by resilient struts on opposite sides of the column, and webs inserted under stress in the channel in the profiled connecting member facing towards the partition wall, the said channel being formed by resilient struts.

14. A partition wall according to claim 14 comprising cover strips for said profiled member, said cover strips including inwardly projecting members detachably engaged with the profiled member.

15. A partition wall according to claim 1 wherein each panel includes upper and lower segments and horizontal, intermediate profiled beams of substantially T-section, between two segments, said beams having cavities on both sides of the webs thereof for receiving seals.

16. A partition wall according to claim 1 wherein said columns are constituted of metal.

17. A partition wall as claimed in claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises profiled connecting members respectively secured at the fioor and ceiling and each having a profile corresponding to the profile of a column 9 severed at the center thereof, said panels being slidably and detachably mounted in said connecting members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Gartner 52-496 Campbell 52-241 Griith 52-242 Harwood 52-241 l() FOREIGN PATENTS 2,269,926 4/1963 Austria 52-241 3,473,308 8/1960 Switzerland 52-235 5 JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 52-281 

